A new bin collection service has been accused of failing "a significant wedge of the city" amid claims some homes are still being repeatedly missed.

Despite the city council insisting the disruption caused by a reorganisation of bin rounds has been minimal, some now say the missed bin collections are a “dereliction” of the council’s duty.

Cllr Damien Tunnacliffe, Lib Dem shadow waste spokesperson, said: “This reorganisation has certainly not been limited to a few teething problems as was originally suggested. The reorganisation looks poorly prepared and badly miscalculated. Surely none of the council leaders envisaged this still going on after three months.

“With no proper plan at all, their treatment was casual and showed little consideration of the consequences – which turned out for some to be overflowing bins on account of a seemingly muddled collection approach.

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“From reports to me it seems like it’s been repeatedly the same homes. This is definitely not alright. It’s a dereliction of the council’s duty to a significant wedge of the city, who have been paying for a service that has simply got worse.”

Cllr Rosy Moore is the Executive Councillor for Environmental Services and the City Centre

Councillor Rosy Moore, executive councillor for environmental services and the city centre, defended the council’s record.

She said: "A detailed report on the harmonisation of bin rounds across both Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council is going to the City's Environment Scrutiny Committee next Tuesday (June 27).

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“It is an open and transparent account so that they can review what we have done since the roll out in February including on areas like flats or assisted collection addresses where we know a minority of residents have experienced problems and it lays out clearly how we are addressing any remaining issues.

A bin lorry at work in the city

“Around 155,000 bins are collected every week across the two areas - some 30,000 a day. From feedback the vast majority of residents are very happy with the service.

“We know there are a small number who haven't had the service we aimed in our plans for this major change and we are sorry for anyone who has been inconvenienced. Every single bin is important to us and we are working hard to achieve a consistently high level of service for everyone.”

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Cllr Tunnacliffe added: “Our attempts at the last council meeting to persuade the Labour administration to have a councillor-led enquiry into this reorganisation were rejected. Incredibly, their members said that no-one had raised a single problem with them. This either sounds like ‘political deafness’ or that areas of the city they represent were safeguarded.”

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Cllr Moore said: “The Shared Waste Service operates across the political boundaries of the two local authorities and our hardworking staff treat all residents and all areas as equally important.

“I refute entirely any suggestion from Councillor Tunnicliffe that those dedicated staff would ever either favour or ignore any area and the entire service has been responsive to concerns or complaints raised by any councillors or residents."